Hal Gill, one of free agency's top contingency plans, is off the market.

The Nashville Predators signed the 6-7 veteran defenseman to a two-year, $4 million deal on Thursday. Nashville acquired Gill, 37, from the Montreal Canadiens at midseason.

As noted by SN's Jesse Spector in his list of the top 30 free agents-to-be, Gill could moved up to the Predators' top defensive pairing alongside Shea Weber if the team fails to re-sign star Ryan Suter, who will test the market when it opens on July 1.

That, obviously, is still on the table, though Nashville's chances at retaining Suter are 50/50 at best. The free-agent class is thin, particularly at defense, which works against the Predators. That factor also would've put Gill in demand, had he not signed his deal, as a fallback for whichever teams missed out on Suter.

Whether Gill would've been worthy of the attention, though, is another matter. His age and lack of foot speed have to be a concern, though he acquitted himself well enough against second-line competition in 2011-12. He also was 16th in the NHL with 161 blocked shots overall last season.

Gill played in his 1,000th NHL game last season. In 14 seasons with the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Canadiens and Predators, he has 36 goals, 184 points and a plus-47 rating in 1,070 games.